Plants

Teaching Point #1

Almost all plants are autotrophic, eukaryotic and have cell walls.

Teaching Point #2Plants are grouped into 2 groups: nonvascular

plants, which lack a well–developed system of tubes for transporting materials, and vascular plants, which have a system to transport materials.

Teaching Point #3The 3 main major groups of nonvascular

plants are mosses, liverworts and hornworts, which all are low-growing plants in moist areas where they can directly absorb water and nutrients.

Teaching Point #4Ferns, club mosses and horsetails have

vascular tissue but do not produce seeds; instead they reproduce by releasing spores.

Teaching Point #5

Seed plants are vascular, use pollen and seeds to reproduce, and have stems and leaves to provide support and nutrients.

Teaching Point #6Gymnosperms produce naked seeds and

angiosperms produce flowers and fruits.

Teaching Point #7 In gymnosperms pollen falls from a male cone

onto a female cone, and in angiosperms pollen from the anther falls on the flower’s stigma.

Multi-cellular

Have cell walls

Vary in size

Make th

eir

own

ener

gy (

aut

otr

ophs)

Plants

Characteristics of Plants

Adaptations for living on land

Algae

Land plant

Process Water plant (algae) Land Plant Adaptation

Obtaining water Receive water right from their surroundings… always!

Cuticle: Waxy layer that covers leaf: keeps water in

Obtaining /transporting nutrients

Nutrients flow TO them in the water…so easy! No need to transport because they are SO small.

Evolved to have transport tissue (vascular tissue)

Support Water holds them up…floating along.

Rigid cell walls and roots

Reproduction Sperm can swim to the egg

Adaptations for DRY environments that allow sperm to reach egg

Complex Life Cycle

Sporophyte stage: A sporophyte produces SPORES, which are tiny cells that can grow into new organisms.

Gametophyte stage: The plant produces sperm cells and egg cells.

What does it mean to be vascular or nonvascular?

Nonvascular plants: NO VASCULAR TISSUE! (low-growing, no roots for absorbing water)

Vascular plants: HAVE VASCULAR TISSUE! (Suited to life on dry land, transport materials throughout plant, so can grow tall)

Information check

1. Name 2 ways plant cells are different from other eukaryotic cells.

2. What adaptations do land plants have the water plants don’t?

3. Does algae need cuticles? Why or why not?4. How do vascular plants differ from

nonvascular plants?5. What are the 2 major stages of a plant’s life?

Plants WITHOUT SeedsMosses, liverworts, hornworts

Low growing plants

Moist areas (to directly absorb water)

Need watery surrounding for sperm to swim to egg

Ferns, club mosses, horsetails

Can grow tall because they can transport materials

Also need moist areas for spores

Reproduce by releasing spores

VascularNonvascular

Characteristics of SEED plants

Vascular tissue:

Phloem and Xylem

Pollen and seeds

Roots

Stems Leaves

Purpose of each… Phloem: Moves the food throughout the plant so nutrients

reach EVERY cell! Xylem: Moves the water and minerals from soil to the rest

of plant. Pollen: Sperm cells (that will eventually fertilize the egg cells) Seed: The zygote! Seed contains the young plant and

PROTECTS it. Roots: Anchor the plant and absorb water and nutrients Stem: Carries substances from roots up to plant. Also, holds

the plant and leaves up so they can be exposed to sun Leaves: Capture sun’s energy to make food (photosynthesis!)

Information check

1. Nonvascular seedless plants are all low-growing and live in moist areas. How are these 2 characteristics related?

2. What do you think is the MOST important adaptation of seed plants? Why?

SEED PLANTS

Angiosperms

Gymnosperms

• All have flowers(The reproductive structure of angiosperms)

• All have seeds protected by a FRUIT

• All have “naked seeds” = NOT protected!

• Many have needle-like leaves

Reproduction in gymnospermsExample: Pine Tree

Tree produces male and female cones

Male cone produces

pollen grains, which

turn into sperm cells

Wind scatters pollen

seeds, end up on

female cone (ovule)

Fertilization occurs:

ovule seals in pollen.

Ovule develops

into a seed

Wind disperses

seed. Seed grows into a

tree

Reproduction in angiosperms

(Example: Apple Tree)Apple tree

produces flowers

Cells in the anther

produce pollen grains

Pollen grains

trapped on the stigma

Fertilization: pollen (sperm) fertilizes egg cell

Ovule of plant

develops into a seed!

(fertilized egg is the embryo)

The ovary

turns into the fruit,

which helps

dispersal. YUM.

Flower structureAttract pollinators

Location of pollen

Where pollen is deposited

Develops into a SEED

Ovary: Becomes the FRUIT: dispersal of seed

Information Check

1. Why are cones important for gymnosperms?2. Compare and contrast reproduction in

angiosperms and gymnosperms. (How are they similar? Different?)

3. What characteristics do all angiosperms share?

4. Is the following picture a gymnosperm or angiosperm?

Check for Understanding

What is the difference between a vascular and nonvascular plant? Give as many differences as you can.

Name adaptations that distinguish flowering plants from mosses.

Explain the role of stomata in leaves. What role does a fruit play in an angiosperm’s life cycle?

Give as many details as possible. How does the sporophyte generation of a plant differ from

the gametophyte generation of a plant? What are the main functions of a plant’s roots, stems and

leaves?